Problem of the Week
Problem B
High Noon, Two Trains, and a Bee
The Kitchener and London train stations are \(100\) km apart on a straight section of railroad. A train leaves Kitchener Station at noon, and travels toward London Station. A different train leaves London Station at noon, and travels toward Kitchener Station on a parallel track.
The train from Kitchener is travelling at \(60\) km per hour. What is its speed in km per minutes?
The train from London is travelling at \(90\) km per hour. What is its speed in km per minutes?
Find the time that the trains begin to pass each other. To do so, you may find completing the table below helpful.
| Time (in minutes after noon) | Distance travelled by the train leaving Kitchener | Distance travelled by the train leaving London | Total distance travelled by the two trains |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | |||
| 20 | |||
| 30 | |||
| 40 | |||
| 50 | |||
| 60 |
Extension: Bert the magical bee flies at \(120\) km per hour back and forth between the two trains as they travel towards one another. What is the total distance he has travelled just as the trains begin to pass one another?
(Note: Bert will not lose any time as he changes direction.)